fairfax county employee alert notification (ean) quick reference … s… · high priority message...

Fairfax County Employee Alert Notification (EAN) Quick Reference Guide

TO SEND AN EAN ALERT:

Go To: – https://manager.everbridge.net

To reset a forgotten password, utilize the

Forgot Password Link or email [email protected]

Enter your username and password, and then click the “Sign-in” button to enter the EAN

Click “Proceed” on the splash screen advising that you are logging into the EAN system.

https://manager.everbridge.net/

mailto:[email protected]


ROLES: SENDING A NEW NOTIFICATION: Once logged into the Manager portal of Everbridge, select the Notifications tab at the top of the page (if not already selected) and click the New Notification button (circled below).

Click the New Notification button to create a new alert message.

Here you will see which system you are currently logged into. You will have two options, Fairfax County

EAN or TRAINING – Fairfax County

You can switch between EAN and TRAINING by clicking on the system name above, a menu will expand showing your system options and the Roles you have been assigned. Some users will

have many roles; each role defines what group(s) you have access to send alerts to.


CREATE MESSAGE: This is the section in which notification messages are created.

TITLE: The title field is always required and is used in both Text Messages and Email Notifications; this is equivalent to the Subject line of an email. BODY: The body of the message is the notification content. This is the actual message you are sending. By default it has just a single entry box and whatever message is entered will be sent to all selected delivery methods. If you desire to send a

short text message, but a long email message use the checkbox highlighted above for including a separate email notification message. VOICE RECORDING: You can include a voice recording by selecting that checkbox; this is only used when sending an alert to voice devices such

as a home phone, work desk phone or cellphone. Typically EAN messages are not sent using this method. MESSAGE TYPE: There are three types of messages that can be sent by EAN, the two most common are Standard and Polling.

1. Standard is the regular notification method 2. Polling allows you to enter defined responses that the recipient can reply to your alert with. 3. Conference Bridge allows you to create an Audio Bridge with your alert message and will send the connection

information with your alert. There are four Audio Bridge’s available in the system, each can hold 96 callers.

High Priority Message will give your message priority

sending over other messages that are not

marked this way. Click this box to create

separate Text/SMS Message and Email Messages. This is

useful when you want to send a long email, but short

text message.

Hover over the information icon if you have any questions about that

function


Attach Files: Attach files allows you to select and upload a file that will be attached to an email notification only for distribution. Beware the file size limits are very small. You can upload up to 5 files, with a maximum single file size of 1MB. The total size of all

attachments can be no larger than 2MB. PUBLISHING OPTIONS: The feature “Everbridge Network” labeled under the Publishing Options heading is not currently used and this checkbox should not be checked. SELECT CONTACTS: There are four options for selecting contacts who will receive your notification:

1. Individuals – This option allows you to search for a single contact or multiple contacts by name. You will only see contacts who you manage, typically not all contacts in the system.

2. Groups – This will display the PRIVATE groups that you have the ability to send messages to. These groups are

typically agency specific. This is the most common selection for sending notifications.

3. Rules – This will display DYNAMIC groups created in the EAN system. Contacts in these groups are created in response to a question asked on their registration page and are dynamic in that they are regularly updated based on user input. An example would be the Severe Traffic notifications rule.

4. Map – This allows the sender to bring up a map of Fairfax County and draw shapes for selecting contacts based on

an address in their profile. This is not typically utilized in the EAN system.


SETTINGS: The Settings box is where you select which delivery methods you want your alert to be delivered over. This page by default is not editable. Delivery Order: You will only need to select the Edit link if you want to deliver your message differently than what is listed below. To make changes you will need to select the Edit link next to the word Settings. Delivery Method: The default delivery methods are Mobile Member App, Work Text Message, Personal Text Message, Work E-mail, Personal Email, Pager and TTY.

SEND MESSAGE: After Settings, you are ready to Send the message. There are four options at this phase: Send Now will send the message as soon as you click the send button. Send Later allows you to schedule a future date and time that your alert will be sent. Send Recurring allows you to schedule a future message that repeats, much like scheduling a recurring meeting in Outlook. Save as a notification template allows you to save the message content and settings for future use. This is used when you send the same message frequently.

When this is checked, the system allows you to apply a label to this alert and any other alerts you

may send in the future for statistical tracking


SUPPORT: For assistance with your EAN account or system use, please send an email to [email protected] or contact the Office of Emergency Management at 571-150-1000, TTY 711. Please note, support is only provided through these methods during regular business hours, 8a.m. – 4:30p.m. Monday through Friday. For afterhours support, please use the following: Everbridge Technical Support – 1-866-436-4911


Fairfax Alerts Verizon 911 Alerting (Reverse 911)

TO SEND A Reverse 911 ALERT:



Forgot Password Link or email [email protected]

Enter your username and password, and then

click the “Sign-in” button to enter the Fairfax

Alerts system. (Reverse 911 is only available on

Fairfax Alerts)

Click “Proceed” on the splash

screen advising that you are

logging into Fairfax Alerts.

Change system to Fairfax

Alerts on the menu located

at the top left of your screen.

https://manager.everbridge.net/



CREATE MESSAGE from Universe Tab: This is the section in which notification messages are created for Reverse 911 using the map.

NOTE: The map will load “Contact Layers” color coded for each type of record in the system. These include White Pages (Blue dots), Yellow Pages (Yellow dots), Web Registration (Orange dots), Imported CEAN Registrations (Purple dots), Manual Registrations (Green dots) and Verizon E911 (Red dots). This is over 1.5 million records so it can take a minute or two to load! Unselect all of these layers, except the Verizon E911 (Red dots).

Click the Universe tab to

open the mapping

application on Everbridge.

Click Select Contacts to

expand your options menu

on the map.

Choose contact layers from

the menu.

Uncheck all layers except

Verizon E911.


SELECT THE AREA for the MESSAGE: For broad area alerts, using the guidance received from the requested sender you can draw shapes on the map to select contacts. Access these tools from the Select Contacts menu.

Choices include Free form, Polygon, Circle and then options for rotating your shape after it has been drawn, stretching the shape to a larger size, moving the shape on the map or removing the shape. Familiarize yourself with how each of these shapes are drawn and practice utilizing each type. Another option is to search by a location or individual person by selecting Search on the Select Contacts menu.

Select the Draw shapes

option on the drop down

menu under Select

Contacts.

Select the Search link on

the Select Contacts menu.

Enter the full address, for

example:

4890 Alliance Dr, Fairfax, VA


Once the search is complete, it will show you a list of addresses that match what was entered. Select the appropriate address from the list (if there is more than one). You also now have two options: Set Marker – This will allow you to just place a marker on that address of the map and zooms the map to the location you found. No selection is made when using this choice; you would still need to draw a shape on the map around this marker to select the address for notifications. Set Marker with radius – Allows you to enter in a radius value in Miles or Feet and will draw a shape automatically around the marker based on this value, selecting those contacts for notification. Here is an example of drawing a 100 ft radius around the PSTOC address, selecting all of the phone numbers in that building.

When using the universe tab for selecting contacts, a shape MUST be drawn around a selection of contact records (dots) on the map. Without a shape drawn, no selection is made. Next you will select the New Notification button to create the alert message and send the alert.

100ft radius around PSTOC

address. Number of contacts selected

based on the shape drawn.

Click the New

Notification

Button.


SENDING THE REVERSE 911 NOTIFICATION:

TITLE: The title field is always required even though this message will only be delivered to voice dialed devices. Just enter an

appropriate title based on the purpose of the alert.

BODY: The body of the message is the notification content if you want to use text-to-speech conversion. If using this feature, you

will not select the “Include a Voice Recording” option, but rather type your message in this box. IMPORTANT: Listen to the message by sending it to yourself first in a test message to ensure it is converting the text properly.

VOICE RECORDING: Instead of using text-to-speech, a preferred method is to include a voice recording by selecting that checkbox.

There are three options for recording a voice message:

Everbridge recorder – this records the message using a microphone connected directly to the computer.

Use a telephone – the most common method, which provides a phone number to call and record a message. (Similar to recording a voicemail message).

Upload a file – least used method, allows you to upload a pre-recorded .wav file saved to your computer.

Message content typed here

can be converted from text-

to-speech by the Everbridge

system.


SELECT CONTACTS: The Map option is the contacts selected using the Verizon 911 data from the Universe tab and will already be populated. Typically these are the only contacts you will send the message to for a Reverse 911, however you could also send a Fairfax Alerts message via email, text, or phone by selecting from Rules, Groups or Individuals: There are four options for selecting contacts who will receive your notification:

1. Individuals – This option allows you to search for a single contact or multiple contacts by name. You will only see

contacts who you manage, typically not all contacts in the system.

2. Groups – This will display the PRIVATE groups that you have the ability to send messages to. These groups are typically agency specific and found in the EAN system. Currently no Groups exist in Fairfax Alerts, only Rules.

3. Rules – This will display DYNAMIC groups created in the Fairfax Alerts system. Contacts in these groups are

created in response to a question asked on their registration page and are dynamic in that they are regularly updated based on user input. An example would be the Severe Traffic notifications rule.

4. Map – This allows the sender to bring up a map of Fairfax County and draw shapes for selecting contacts based on

an address in their profile or from Verizon 911 data.

Voice recording options

Contacts selected from using

the Universe tab.


SETTINGS: The Settings box is where you select which delivery methods you want your alert to be delivered over. This page by default is not editable. Click the Edit link next to Settings for modifying these options.

Delivery Method: The default delivery methods are Mobile Member App, SMS/Text Message 1, SMS/Text Message 2, Personal E-mail, and Business Email.

IMPORTANT: For Reverse 911 messages, only the Home Phone # field should be selected.

Uncheck these options.

Check this option


SEND MESSAGE: After Settings, you are ready to Send the message. There are four options at this phase, only two should be used for Reverse 911 messaging: Send Now will send the message as soon as you click the send button. Send Later allows you to schedule a future date and time that your alert will be sent.

SUPPORT:

For assistance with your EAN account or system use, please send an email to [email protected] or contact the Office of Emergency Management at 571-150-1000, TTY 711. Please note, support is only provided through these methods during regular business hours, 8a.m. – 4:30p.m. Monday through Friday. For afterhours support, please use the following: Everbridge Technical Support – 1-866-436-4911

When this is checked, the system allows you to

apply a label to this alert and any other alerts you



Fairfax Alerts Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

TO SEND A WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts):



Forgot Password Link or email oem‐[email protected]

Enter your username and password, and then

click the “Sign‐in” button to enter the Fairfax

Alerts system. (WEA, like Reverse 911, is only

available on Fairfax Alerts)

Click “Proceed” on the splash

screen advising that you are

logging into Fairfax Alerts.

Change system to Fairfax

Alerts on the menu located

at the top left of your screen.


CREATE MESSAGE from Universe Tab: This is the section in which notification messages are created for Reverse 911 using the map. Although the WEA messages are sent out through the iPAWS network to cell phone towers and do not utilize any contact records in the Everbridge system, at least one real contact still must be selected on the map. The shape is what will be passed to IPAWS for determining which cell towers to activate.

NOTE: The map will load “Contact Layers” color coded for each type of record in the system. Web Registration (Orange dots), CERT (Bright Green dots), Manual Registrations (Dark Green dots) and Verizon E911 (Red dots). This is over 1 million records so it can take a minute or two to load!

Click the Universe tab to

open the mapping

application on Everbridge.

Click Select Contacts to

expand your options menu

on the map.

Choose contact layers from

the menu.

Most alerts will be sent to all

contact layers. Unchecking

will deselect that contact

type and not alert them.


SELECT THE AREA for the MESSAGE: For broad area alerts, using the guidance received from the requested sender you can draw shapes on the map to select contacts. Access these tools from the Select Contacts menu. Avoid using the Circle tool with WEA as this shape may exceed the number of data points the IPAWS network can receive. The preferred shape is Polygon.

Once drawn there are options for rotating your shape, stretching the shape to a larger size, moving the shape on the map or removing the shape. Familiarize yourself with these tools and practice utilizing each type. Another option is to search by a location or individual person by selecting Search on the Select Contacts menu.

Select the Draw shapes

option on the drop down

menu under Select

Contacts.

Select the Search link on

the Select Contacts menu.

Enter the full address, for

example:

4890 Alliance Dr, Fairfax, VA


Once the search is complete, it will show you a list of addresses that match what was entered. Select the appropriate address from the list (if there is more than one). You also now have two options: Set Marker – This will allow you to just place a marker on that address of the map and zooms the map to the location you found. No selection is made when using this choice; you would still need to draw a shape on the map around this marker to select the address for notifications. Set Marker with radius* – Allows you to enter in a radius value in Miles or Feet and will draw a shape automatically around the marker based on this value, selecting those contacts for notification. (* The circle shape is not recommended to be used with WEA, but can be helpful if trying to draw a shape of a certain distance. In these cases, use the radius tool to draw the shape based on a distance and then remove the circle, replacing it with a polygon of roughly the same size before sending the message.)


Here is an example of drawing a 100ft radius around the PSTOC address, selecting all of the phone numbers in that building.

When using the universe tab for selecting contacts, a shape MUST be drawn around a selection of contact records (dots) on the map. Without a shape drawn, no selection is made. Next you will select the New Notification button to create the alert message and send the alert.

100ft radius around PSTOC

address. Number of contacts selected

based on the shape drawn.

Click the New

Notification

Button.


SENDING THE WEA NOTIFICATION:

First, the CMAS/WEA

checkbox must be selected

under Publishing Options.

Soa#2031pArt

Al3rt#9079key

Event Name is the

message “Type” and

must be selected. To

see the list of types

and a description,

please see Appendix A.

Change to

“Actual”

Your message will go here, it

must be 90 characters or less.

Urgency must be either:

Immediate: Response action should be

taken immediately.

OR

Expected: Responsive action should be

taken within the next hour.

Severity must be either:

Extreme: An

extraordinary threat to

life or property.

OR

Severe: Significant Threat

to life or property. Certainty must be either:

Observed: Determined to have

occurred or ongoing.

OR

Likely: Has a probability of greater

than 50 percent. Expires in defines how

long the message is

broadcast at a cell tower

to the public. The

minimum is 1 hour.

This box MUST be checked.

Message Category is

required. See Appendix

B for a listing of

definitions.


SETTINGS: None of the fields or settings outside of the CMAS/WEA box will apply to the WEA message. However, you will most likely still fill out a message to be sent over Reverse 911 and to the Fairfax Alerts Opt‐Ins to ensure the largest audience is receiving the message. See the EAN Sending Guide and the Verizon 911 Alerting (Reverse 911) guide for information on how to configure and send out those alerts. All of this can be done in a single alerting form.

SEND MESSAGE: Once the CMAS/WEA form is complete you are ready to Send the message. There are four options at this phase, only two should be used for WEA messaging: Send Now will send the message as soon as you click the send button. Send Later allows you to schedule a future date and time that your alert will be sent.

When this is checked, the system allows you to

apply a label to this alert and any other alerts you



APPENDIX A – Event Name Listing:

While a large list of Event Names are available for selection on the CMAS/WEA form in Everbridge. The following are the only Event Names authorized by VDEM for our local use:

Civil Danger Warning (CDW) : A warning of an event that presents a danger to a significant civilian population. The CDW, which usually warns of a specific hazard and gives specific protective action, has a higher priority than the Local Area Emergency (LAE) (e.g. contaminated water supply, terrorist attack). Public protective actions could include evacuation, shelter in place, or other actions (such as boiling contaminated water or seeking medical treatment). Civil Emergency Message (CEM): An emergency message regarding an in‐progress or imminent significant threat(s) to public safety and/or property. The CEM is a higher priority message than the Local Area Emergency (LAE), but the hazard is less specific than the Civil Danger Warning (CDW). Evacuation Immediate (EIW): An emergency message regarding the immediate need to evacuate from a defined area. Hazardous Materials Warning (HMW): A warning of a hazardous materials spill or incident that poses a significant danger to the public. Law Enforcement Warning (LEW): A warning of a bomb explosion, riot, or other criminal event (e.g. a jailbreak). An authorized law enforcement agency may blockade roads, waterways, or facilities, evacuate or deny access to affected areas, and arrest violators or suspicious persons. Local Area Emergency (LAE): An emergency message that defines an event that, by itself, does not pose a significant threat to public safety and/or property. However, the event could escalate, contribute to other more serious events, or disrupt critical public safety services. Instructions, other than public protective actions, may be provided by authorized officials. Examples include a disruption in water, electric or natural gas service, or a potential terrorist threat where the public is asked to remain alert. Shelter in Place Warning (SPW): Take immediate shelter where you are—at home, work, school, or wherever you can take protective cover. It may also mean "seal the room”; in other words, take steps to prevent outside air from coming in.


APPENDIX B – Message Type Listing: An Event Category, called Message Type in Everbridge, must be selected from one of the choices below. Choose the most appropriate category for the message you are sending. There is an Other Event option if none of the other categories fit your message. Geo ‐ Geophysical (including landslides) Met ‐ Meteorological (including floods) Safety ‐ General emergency and public safety Security ‐ Law enforcement, military, homeland and local/private security Rescue ‐ Rescue and recovery Fire ‐ Fire suppression and rescue Health ‐ Medical and public health Env ‐ Pollution and other environmental Transport ‐ Public and private transportation Infra ‐ Utility, telecommunication, other non‐transport infrastructure CBRNE ‐ Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high‐yield explosive threat or attack Other ‐ Other events


SUPPORT:

For assistance with your EAN account or system use, please send an email to OEM‐[email protected] or contact the Office of Emergency Management at 571‐150‐1000, TTY 711. Please note, support is only provided through these methods during regular business hours, 8a.m. – 4:30p.m. Monday through Friday. For afterhours support, please use the following: Everbridge Technical Support – 1‐866‐436‐4911

City of New Haven Office of Emergency Management

Emergency Notification System Procedure Effective April 11, 2007

Revision December 23, 2009

The City of New Haven has contracted with Everbridge Communications to provide incident notification to the residents and businesses in the City. The system will be used to pass critical and timely information to minimize the human, operational and financial impact of routine incidents and disasters. This internet based system can be deployed within minutes from a desktop computer or vehicle Mobile Data Terminal. The system notifies residents or businesses that are currently listed in the White Pages and further allows the ability to OPT IN to the system or OPT OUT of the system by using the link listed below. http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/EmergencyInfo/optinout.asp

The following procedures shall be followed when initiating a community alert or an emergency alert. Final approval shall be granted by the Chief Administrative Officer or designee. When utilizing the Aware side of the system, only the department head or designee shall be notified. Once a decision is made to send a notification using the Emergency Notification System, the Deputy Director of Emergency Management will be notified to initiate the call.

1. Prior to sending out a citywide alert (emergency or community) the following staff must be notified.

a) Mayor's Office b) Public Information Officer c) Chief of Staff d) Public Safety Answering Point (911) e) Director of Traffic and Parking (when effecting vehicle

travel)

2. Message description a) Written message description will be pasted into the system b) Area of notification will be based on type of notification

required

3. System Access a) Use http://www.everbridge.net b) Go to Login c) Enter user name and password d) For live operator assistance at Everbridge (877)220-4911

4. Residential or business complaints regarding calls made using the Everbridge Emergency Notification System will be forwarded to

a) Chief Administrators Office b) Office of Emergency Management

5. Freedom of Information requests for ANY notifications will be forwarded to

a) Chief Administrators Office b) Corporation Counsel c) Office of Emergency Management

6. Upon completion of any notification, a report will be generated on the administrative side of Everbridge and will be stored for a period of 18 months within the system. A printed copy of this report is emailed and faxed to the Office of Emergency Management and will be kept on file in the Emergency Operations Center.

7. The Public Safety Answering Point (911 Center) may receive a verbal request from a on scene Police or Fire Incident Commander, Emergency Management Official, or Public Health Official to make a specific Mass Notification using the Everbridge system 911 data due to a life threatening situation. Upon such a request, the PSAP communicator shall request approval from the Fire and/or Police Shift Commander. If the request is initiated by Emergency Management or Public Health, approval shall be the Chief Administrative Officer or designee. The following will also be notified immediately in all uses.

a) Director of 911 Communications b) Chief Administrative Officer c) Fire Chief d) Police Chief e) Emergency Management

DRAFT Mass Notification Policy DRAFT

Policy: It is the policy of the Town of South Windsor to make timely notification to the town's residents when a critical incident occurs within the town and when such an incident has the potential to affect the health and welfare of the citizens. Additionally, it is the policy of the Town to utilize, when appropriate, a mass notification system to distribute timely non-emergency information to residents who opt to receive such non-emergency information in accordance with the capabilities of the notification system.

Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the use of a mass notification system for notifying the public of emergency situations. It is also the purpose of this policy to establish guidelines for the use of a mass notification system for non-emergency notifications to the public.

Procedure

Definitions 1. Mass Notification System: A system capable of broadcasting messages to large

numbers of people through multiple means including telephone, electronic mail, facsimile, and text paging.

2. Emergency condition: A situation in which the health and welfare of a person is at risk or is likely to be affected.

3. Non-emergency condition: A situation in which there is a need to notify the public however, such notification is not associated with an emergency.

General 1. System access and authorization shall be the responsibility of the Town Manager

or his designee(s). 2. The department responsible for the distribution of each message in question shall

provide a clear point of contact for additional information regarding that particular message and will be responsible for all citizen complaints or follow up.

3. With the exclusion of the public safety departments, the department heads responsible for sending out a mass notification message shall complete and forward the "After Action Report" form to the Town Manager's office for review and record keeping. These reports will be available for periodic review by the Mass Notification Committee.

4. The mass notification system is generally to be used when the public is being asked to take some action.

5. Messages distributed through the mass notification system must be clear, concise and actionable.

EMERGENCIES The State of Connecticut will provide the South Windsor Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) with a master phone number database. The database of telephone numbers is for emergency use only and shall not be available for non-emergency notifications.

1. The police department will be responsible for the operation of the emergency mass notification system.

DRAFT


a. When an emergency condition exists, police supervisors may initiate the activation of the town's mass notification system.

b. Activation of the mass notification system will occur when in the judgment of police leaders the use of the system will be effective in reducing the risk of injury to residents.

c. The Chief of Police and the Town Manager will be notified when such a condition exists and informed of the use of the mass notification system.

NON-EMERGENCY 1. The town's mass notification system may be used to contact residents in the

following non-emergency situations. This list is not intended to be all inclusive but to illustrate the types of non-emergency conditions that may prompt use of the mass notification system.

a. Traffic problem b. Significant police of fire activity c. Public health concern d. Crime information e. Town program updates (Snow removal, leaf collection, recreation, etc)

2. Multiple notifications on the same subject matter or within a short time frame should be avoided so as to not annoy or frustrate the public.

3. Non-emergency notifications will generally occur between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. unless circumstances require the message to be sent outside of that time frame.

4. All non-emergency notifications shall be submitted to the Town Manager's office using the, "For Non Public Safety Broadcast Request" form one week in advance of the launch date. The proposed message and launch schedule will be reviewed for compliance with this policy. An exception to this direction would be a program cancellation due to weather or personnel matters. An example of such cancellation would be the cancellation of a senior center activity due to an ice storm.

5. Non-emergency notifications are intended for the dissemination of government related program information. Use of the mass notification system for the dissemination of the following types of messages is prohibited.

a. Any message of a commercial nature b. Any message of a political nature c. Any non-official business (e.g. articles, retirement announcements, etc)

Coordination of Notification Systems Certain situations will require coordinated use of mass notification systems. A number of entities employee the use of mass notification systems. The State of Connecticut, The Department of Public Health, and South Windsor Public Schools are among the entities that utilize similar notification systems.

The needs of the town and the needs of other system users may differ. In such situations it is important that the use of the mass notifications system is coordinated so as to

DRAFT


eliminate multiple messages with the same or similar content and to eliminate conflicting messages.

The staff member responsible for disseminating a particular message must take into consideration the importance of this type of coordination.

Determination of Notification Group A mass notification can be sent to all town residents or to a select group of residents based on specific criteria such as address, location within a hazard radius, or other proximity to a hazard.

The staff member responsible for disseminating a particular message must take into account the seriousness of the situation, the location of the incident and ensure that the notification is sent to the appropriate group. In an emergency situation mass notifications should be sent to the smallest notification group in order to reduce unnecessary anxiety or panic among residents.

Privacy Policy It is the policy of the Town of South Windsor to preserve and protect the integrity and the privacy of personnel data that is collected for use with the Town's mass notification system. Such data includes personal contact information including work phone numbers, pager numbers, cellular telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.

No personal data will be disseminated from the master telephone table received from the State of Connecticut for use with the police department's emergency mass notification system. It is understood that the notification data received from the State of Connecticut contains proprietary information that is designated "for emergency use only" and that such data contains otherwise unpublished and unlisted telephone numbers that are not to be disseminated.

DRAFT

Town of Cheshire — Emergency Management 250 Maple Avenue, Cheshire CT 06410

203-272-1828 fax 203-272-7314

Procedure to be followed for the use of the town's emergency notification system

1. It is the policy of the Town of Cheshire that the emergency notification system (ens) may be used for significant incidents and events where the timely notification of an effected population or geographic area of the Town is essential or highly desirable.

2. Some examples of the types of incidents or events where the ens may be highly effective in notifying our citizens includes the following.

Administration Man-Made Disasters • Town government Information of an urgent

nature to citizens • Terrorism Threats • Bomb Threats

Environmental (Natural Disasters) • Nuclear Hazards • Bio Terrorism Threats

• Fires • Chemical Spills • Floods • Gas Leaks

• Dangerous Water Conditions • HAZMAT Emergencies

• Water Safety Alerts • Hostage Situations

• Dam / Levy Breaks

Search and Rescue Public Works

• Missing Children • Drinking Water Contamination • Missing Elderly • Viral Outbreaks • Missing Disabled • Utility Outages • Evacuation Notices • Street Closings • Evacuation Routes • Public Notifications

Crime

• Prisoner Escape Warning • Neighborhood Crime Watch Support • Sexual Predator Alert

3. In emergency situations, Police and Fire-Rescue Emergency Incident Commanders (IC) are authorized to initiate usage of the CodeRed system when necessary and/or desirable in management of incidents occurring in and/or adjacent to the Town of Cheshire consistent with the foregoing. The respective Department's Department head (Police Chief or Fire Chief) shall be notified as soon as practical once an (the) IC has directed utilization of the system.

4. In non-emergency situations, Department Heads shall approve instances in which the system is used.

5. Designated department personnel shall complete a review of the audio message, geographical area affected by the ens message, and the date/time that it is scheduled to be broadcast.

5. Each Department that uses the system shall designate a liaison(s) who will be trained on how to use the system.

6. Each Department that will potentially use the system shall be provided with a password and subaccount of the master Town account, which will allow for auditing of the minutes used under the contract.

7. Citizen complaints regarding the use of the system shall be handled by the Department director responsible for the message in question.

8. System performance issues are the responsibility of the Emergency management/Fire Department and shall be forwarded to the Director/Chief of Department for resolution with the vendor.

TOWN OF GROTON

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE Manager, ECC

Approval Number

Effective 4/15/09

Title: Reverse 911 System Policies and Guidelines Rev 2

Page lof 4

I. Purpose The purpose of this document is to provide guidelines on the use and administration of our Reverse 911 system. The document is intended to be general, describing policies and agency roles and responsibilities rather than specific step-by-step activation procedures.

H. System Description

The Reverse 911 System is one component of the Groton Emergency Communications Center public warning system. The Reverse 911 system should be used in conjunction with the other components of the system (e.g. sirens, Emergency Alert System) as deemed fit by local authorities.

In the event of an emergency, Telecommunicators will identify the area in question on the mapping software provided with the system. Information describing the geographic area to be covered by the system and the message to be delivered will be supplied by the Incident Commander or Emergency Services involved with the incident in question.

An appropriate message is recorded that concisely describes the situation and if appropriate, recommends actions residents should take. The message is then sent out to listed telephone numbers within that geographic area. If the receiving phone lines are busy, the system will attempt to redial those numbers a predetermined number of times to make contact. If an answering machine picks up the call, the emergency message will be left on the machine. The time required to reach all affected residents is dictated by the number of outgoing telephone lines used by the system, the length of the message, the number of phone numbers called, and the number of redials programmed.

A. Telephone and Mapping Databases

The telephone number database is provided by a third party and updated by Sigma Communications Inc. on an annual basis. We also update the data using information sent to us by residents within Groton and North Stonington.

Mapping data is provided by the Town's GIS Department and updated on an annual basis.

B. Notification to Lists

We have the ability to create, maintain, save, and delete an unlimited number of lists with an unlimited number of records per list for outgoing notifications. At this time the system is programmed to make courtesy notifications to CERRIT staff members as part of the notification process we use when activating that team — refer to the CERRIT Notification Update memo dated February 29, 2008 for details. We will be building additional notification lists for the SE Connecticut Incident Management Team and others as time develops. As those lists are developed, you will receive information and directives relative to each.

TOWN OF GROTON


STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

Number Approval

Effective 4/15/09 Manager, ECC

Title: Reverse 911 System Policies and Guidelines Rev 2

Page 2of 4

III. System Limitations

A. The Reverse 911 system should be considered as only one component of our public warning system. It must be remembered that no single application can provide warning to all citizens in all situations. The Reverse 911 System should be used in conjunction with other components of the warning system in order to maximize the effectiveness of the warning.

B. As a matter of practicality, the outgoing messages delivered by the system typically will not provide enough detail of the situation for people to act on that information alone. Effective warnings, those where the affected individuals actually take the recommended actions, require that people have enough information on which to base their decisions to act, and that they receive that information from more than one source.

C. The system works best when using sharply defined area. The larger the area involved, the longer it will take to get the messages out. Telecommunicators will keep this fact in mind when building a session and will consider the use of several, consecutive areas to be called starting with those in the immediate area of the emergency being called first. Subsequent sessions can then be used to call those phones farther away from the immediate area. In this manner, those who need immediate notification will receive the information first.

D. The outgoing call capacity of the system is determined by the number of outgoing phone lines and the length of the outgoing message. In a true, life or death situation, a five-minute alerting time is about the maximum that would be acceptable. The outgoing message could be shortened, referring recipients to the local news media for details, however, the number of households/businesses called is still limited if the area of impact is great. On the other hand, in a community notification situation where the event is not immediately life threatening, such as a "boil water" alert or a community policing notification, the longer alerting time may not be problematic and the system could be used for a larger area.

E. Organizations with internal Private Branch Exchange (PBX) phone systems or organizations with more than one building present the potential to cause idiosyncrasies if they are included in a Reverse 911 calling session. While management continually attempts to make modifications to the database to avoid these types of issues, Telecommunicators should keep this fact in mind when creating a session.

IV. Activation Authority

Any public safety command officer may request activation of our Reverse911 system. This includes public health officials, emergency managers, police or fire officials, or other public safety officers involved in the management of a major incident in Groton or North Stonington. At the request of any authorized official, Telecommunicators will, using the information given by the official, initiate the notification requested.

V. Activation Criteria

It is difficult and impractical to define all cases where use of the Reverse911 system is authorized. There are any number of situations in which public alerting becomes necessary. The following criteria should be used as a general guideline for determining the need to issue an alert:

• Severity. Is there a significant threat to public life and safety? • Public Protection. Is there a need for members of the public to take a protective action in order to

reduce loss of life or substantial loss of property? • Warning. Will providing warning information assist members of the public in making the decision to

TOWN OF GROTON Number Approval


STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE Manager, ECCEffective 4/15/09

Title: Reverse 911 System Policies and Guidelines Page Rev 3of 4

2

take proper and prudent action? • Timing. Does the situation require immediate public knowledge in order to avoid adverse impact? • Geographic area. Is the situation limited to a defined geographic area? Is that area of a size that will

allow for an effective use of the system, given the outgoing call capacity? • Are other means of disseminating the information inadequate to ensure proper and timely delivery of

the information?

If the answer to all of these questions is "Yes", then Reverse 911 activation is warranted.

Some typical and appropriate uses of the Reverse911 include, but are not limited to;

• Severe weather. Severe weather usually affects the entire region and as such, are not typically an appropriate occasion for Reverse911 activation. A request for severe weather conditions must first be authorized by the Emergency Management Director or his designee.

• Hazardous materials release. An airborne hazardous materials release or potential for a release where there is a need for residents to evacuate or shelter-in-place.

• Missing children alerts • Endangered missing adult • Public health alerts. Ledgelight Health District may request that we use the system to disseminate

public health information such as; Boil-water alerts Rabid animal alerts West Nile virus outbreak Infectious disease outbreak

• Staff Notifications. We will use the system to notify special response teams for emergencies as we develop use of the system. As indicated earlier, we are using the system to notify the regional hazardous materials response team (CERRIT) and additional notifications lists will be developed over time. As they are developed Telecommunicators will be instructed in their individual use.

VI. Message Content

The alert/notification message is one of the most important elements of the public warning effort. The content and style of the hazard notification message has a direct impact on the public's response to a warning and the willingness to comply with the recommended protective actions. A well written warning message that is delivered consistently across all modes of dissemination will provide as much assurance as possible that members of the public will react appropriately to the occurring threat. Please note, however, that for practical reasons, the maximum length of an outgoing message should be no longer than about one minute. This does not allow for a very long message.

The warning message should be written in a style that clearly conveys the potential hazard to the public. An effective warning message must be specific, clear, consistent, and accurate. The content of the message should include information on five basic elements. These are:

• The source of the message. The person or persons responsible for issuing the alert should be clearly identified. The message should identify the individuals by name, identify their positions, and state the names of their organizations or offices.

TOWN OF GROTON Number Approval


STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE Manager, ECCEffective 4/15/09

Title: Reverse 911 System Policies and Guidelines Page Rev

4of 4

2

• Description of the hazard or risk. The warning message must describe the event that has occurred (or may occur) and the danger that it poses. The hazard should be described in sufficient detail so that all members of the public can understand the character of the threat from which they are to protect themselves.

• Location of the hazard. The message should also describe the geographic areas that are at risk. The details of the location should be described in terms easily understood by the public using well know landmarks and geographic boundaries. Simply stating distances from the source of the threat is not adequate.

• Guidance for protective actions. The message must include information on what people should do to protect themselves. People will act properly when clear, detailed guidance is provided. Therefore, the proper protective actions must be described explicitly.

• Time available to act. Public warnings must also address the "when" aspect of response. The warning message must include information on the time available for those in the affected area to take the appropriate protective action.

Note: It is very likely that in many cases, it will be impossible to convey all of the necessary information with the one-minute time constraint. Therefore, it is recommended that emergency information and instructions be provided to the public in two parts: (1) the initial alert message and (2) essential emergency information and instructions provided to the local media to be aired as follow-up messages and special news broadcasts. Response officials will need to make decisions on the content of the alert messages and the content and frequency of follow-up messages.

This underscores the importance of providing all essential information to the media, upfront. If, after receiving a Reverse 911 alert, people turn to the media for more information (which they will), and they do not get the information they seek, the system will lose credibility and people will not take the recommended actions.

VII. Testing

In order to insure that the system remains operable and that Telecommunicators remain familiar with the system, each Telecommunicator will test the system at least once each week. The test may be activated in conjunction with the regular tests of other components of our Center or at a random time selected by each Telecommunicator. In order to fully test the system and to remain familiar with activation procedures, each Telecommunicator will test the following essential features of the system by:

• Recording a message and initiating a calling session to the "GECC Test" programmed into the system. This session will send the recorded messages to several non-emergency phone lines in the Center.

• Create a session and message to be notionally sent to a geographic area of the employee's choosing. This message will not be actually sent and will be cancelled at the last step prior to message launch.

WALLINGFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT

GENERAL ORDER

CHAPTER 81

TITLE: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM NUMBER 81-3

REVIEW: ANNUAL ISSUED: D.L.D.

PRIORITY

HIGH

EFFECTIVE: XX/XX/2010

RESCINDS:

STATE ACCREDITATION REFERENCE:

I. INTRODUCTION

Everbridge® is a commercial product supplied by the State of Connecticut to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP's) for purposes of broadcasting a prerecorded telephonic message, of an emergency nature, within a specific user-defined geographic area. The Everbridge® system is a web-based crisis communication application that permits the PSAP to quickly communicate urgent information or instructions to citizens. The system utilizes the 9-1-1 database and therefore consists of both residential and business telephone numbers. The product also provides citizens the ability to load additional points of contact into the database through a citizen "Opt-in" portal.

Through its Internet interface, the Everbridge® application allows authorized users to create calling projects using SmartGIS mapping software, create and maintain specific client calling lists to be used independently or in addition to separate geographic selection criteria, and to access Everbridge® call statistics and view the results of each call placed.

The system can be used to make many types of public safety notifications such as those listed herein, and many other situations deemed emergencies by the appropriate authority.

II.POLICY

It is the policy of the Wallingford Police Department to use the Everbridge ® system as a crisis communication tool, supplementing other communication media. Everbridge ® shall be used to inform citizens of emergency situations that immediately threaten their lives and/or property. This policy establishes guidelines for the use of the Everbridge® system.

III.MANAGEMENT

The Wallingford Police Department will oversee the day-to-day coordination of the State of Connecticut and Everbridge ® business relationships and appoint a staff member to be the facilitator.

The police department facilitator will generate the necessary reports and periodic evaluations of the system and shall address any system performance issues with the appropriate State of Connecticut or Everbridge ® personnel.

Page 1

Citizen complaints regarding the use of the system shall be directed to and handled by the head of the Town Department responsible for the message in question.

IV.AUTHORIZED USE

Preliminary to the authorized use of this system by an incident commander, the PSAP staff shall be notified so that they may prepare for, and assist, message recipients who seek clarification or who may provide timely information concerning the event.

This system is directly accessible to trained and authorized personnel via the Internet or by calling the Everbridge ® 24-hour command center (888-440-4911) and speaking with a representative. In order to maintain security of the system, access to Everbridge® requires the use of PIN codes.

The chief of police shall designate personnel to be trained in the operation of the system. In regards to the system, these authorized personnel will work under the direction of the chief of police.

Any incident commander who determines that an ENS message needs to be sent may activate the system. Depending on the particular event, an incident commander may include a fire or police official, public health official, emergency management director, or other public safety official who is commanding the management of an incident. At the request of an incident commander, an authorized, trained user a PSAP dispatcher) will, using the information provided by the incident commander, assist the incident commander in composing a message that is clear, concise, instructive, and consistent with the requirements of this policy and thereafter shall verify the message with the incident commander before initiating the notification process.

Authorized personnel may not disclose pin codes, breach the system, or send out improper or erroneous information.

A copy of this procedure and a listing of personnel authorized to use the system shall remain in the Communications Center for easy reference.

V.GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SYSTEM

The Everbridge® system's outgoing messaging will be used for emergency situations where the lives and/or property of the citizens of Wallingford are being threatened and the timely notification of an effected population or geographic area of the town is essential or highly desirable. It shall only be used for one of the specific purposes as listed herein.

• Fires that threaten nearby residents or property(s). • Dangerous Water Conditions (e.g. Floods) • Dam / Levy Breaks • Missing Persons (Children, Elderly & Disabled) • Prisoner Escape Warning • Sexual Predator Alert • Hostage Situations • Terrorism Threats

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• Bomb Threats • Nuclear Hazards • Bio Terrorism Threats • HAZMAT Emergencies • Evacuation Notices • Evacuation Routes • Drinking Water Contamination • Viral Outbreaks • Water Safety Alerts • Utility Outages

Topics not suited for transmission include:

1. The advertising or promotion of products or individuals. 2. Profit making messages for any group. 3. Political messages. 4. How to obtain a police report 5. Animal control 6. Crime prevention matters 7. Parking restrictions 8. Special events 9. Parking bans 10. Closings of school or other government buildings or events. 11. Press releases

The following criteria may help to determine the need to issue an alert:

• Severity. Is there a significant threat to one or more individual's life or safety? • Public Protection. Is there a need for members of the public to take a protective action

in order to reduce loss of life? • Warning. Will providing warning information assist members of the public in making

the decision to take proper and prudent actions to increase safety? • Timing. Does the situation require immediate public knowledge in order to avoid adverse

impact to life or safety? • Geographic Area. Is the situation limited to a defined geographic area? Is that area of a

size that will allow for effective use of the system, given the outgoing call capacity? • Are other means of disseminating the information inadequate to ensure proper and

timely delivery of the information?

The sending of an Everbridge® message does not automatically preclude the obligation to make door-to-door notifications to ensure the safety and/or evacuation of citizens.

It will be the responsibility of any town department to inform the Police Communications Center of both the impending use of the Everbridge® system and the content of the message so that the center may be properly prepared to respond to callers requesting, or providing, additional information. Should notification across town boundaries occur, it is the responsibility of the Communications Center personnel to notify the PSAP in those towns that are affected and request that they notify their town's public safety administrators. Likewise, should notification

Page 3

be made to the Wallingford PSAP of an incident in a neighboring community, Communications personnel shall notify the relevant town department administrators.

VI. COMPOSING & SENDING A MESSAGE

Communicating an effective message is always difficult in a crisis or emergency situation. The recipient frequently has difficulty hearing, understanding and remembering the message and any important instructions. The first nine seconds of the message are the most critical, as after that, the listener starts to contemplate the criticality of what is being said and stops actively listening to the message.

Therefore, an emergency message should be carefully pre-planned and constructed to be brief, accurate, concise, and deliver clear, credible, and easily understood information or actionable instructions.

All messages should be constructed using words and concepts easily understood by the widest possible audience keeping in mind that children, the elderly, and people for whom English is not their primary language, might receive your message.

All messages should seek to deliver three key informational items or instructions in a message with less than approximately thirty words.

The author of the message should first script the information and instructions to be delivered, then speak it out loud to evaluate the format and clarity of the script, and then record it using the Everbridge® application. When recording the message do so in a quiet environment as the recording process will pick up any background noise.

The Everbridge® system can also send the message through a "text to voice" feature that will deliver the same information using a computer generated voice enhancement feature.

The following is a basic message format:

• "This is (title, name, etc.) of the Wallingford Department with a message to the community", followed by the text of the message.

• Location, date and time of the event, if applicable; • Briefly explain the nature of the event, i.e. flood, lost child, hostage situation, etc.; • Provide information on what actions should be taken, including assembly/shelter

location, evacuation routes; and • Advise if there will be a follow up message sent.

A clear, concise, easily understood, and informative message is crucial to eliminating an overwhelming volume of calls to our Communication Center from message recipients seeking clarification.

When message construction has been finalized the geographic area to receive the message must be determined. Messages can be sent to residential and/or business telephone numbers. These could include all telephones at a specific address such as a condominium or office building, and pre-defined lists created by the police or other town department, categories of businesses (i.e. all banks, convenience stores, auto body shops, hotels/motels, etc). The sender should specify

Page 4

which, or both, since sending to both increases calling time considerably.

When communicating information about criminal activity, only confirmed suspect descriptions should be included.

Insure that any provided callback number is staffed for the duration of the announced emergency. Citizens requesting or providing information should not receive a voice mail system greeting unless the greeting is tailored to receive citizen calls in response to a specific message. If a voice mail box is used to receive citizen responses, a specific department office and/or employee shall be designated responsibility for ensuring that the voice mailbox is checked several times a day, including weekends and holidays, for the duration of the announced emergency. This is because voice mailboxes have a limited storage capacity.

When an Everbridge® message is initiated, the sender MUST include the appropriate personnel in the "Always Call List". This list will include town departments that have duties related to the nature of the emergency but will always include the following public safety personnel: the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the Fire Chief, and the Civil Preparedness Director and the police department public information officer.

The sender is responsible for the content and dissemination of the Everbridge ® message.

An information log will be kept in the Communications Center for incoming calls regarding sent messages. Any important information received by the Communications Center shall be forwarded to the Shift Commander, who will decide if the information requires immediate follow-up or can be held and forwarded to the message requester.

VII.DOCUMENTATION OF A MESSAGE

Within four hours of initiating the message, it will be MANDATORY for the user to complete an After Action Report which should include: date, time, authorization, initiator, statistical group, message content and any other pertinent information. This report will then be forwarded to the personnel listed in the "Always-Call Group". (See section VIII regarding Always Call group).

If a resolution has been achieved (e.g. arrest of a suspect who was the subject of a message), consideration should be given to sending a follow-up message to the recipients of the original message advising them in general terms of the outcome and expressing the department's appreciation for the community's assistance.

VIII.CALL GROUPS

The Everbridge® system permits the establishment of call groups consisting of employees with related job responsibilities. These lists may be used in conjunction with broadcasts relating to a community incident or for business related notifications. For instance, police department Emergency Services personnel comprise one such group and may be summoned through the use of the system. In addition, there is a pre-defined "Always Call" list that shall be included in any use of the Everbridge® system. The use of this "Always Call" group insures that the town's public safety personnel are notified each time the system is activated.

Page 5

Construction and maintenance of call groups is the responsibility of the Communications Center administrator.

Page 6

Fairfax Alerts

Communication

Tool Kit

A Fairfax County, Va.,

publication

2

Dear Fairfax County Resident, The Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is pleased to offer Fairfax County residents a new and improved emergency alert system called Fairfax Alerts. It enables residents to be informed during significant events including weather, traffic and emergencies. Users can receive alerts for up to five geographic locations like home, work or school and through 10 delivery methods including a cellphone, home phone, text message or email. It is critical for you, family, friends, co-workers and neighbors to be informed during an emergency. No matter how you choose to customize your Fairfax Alerts, it is important to sign up! I invite you to spread the word about Fairfax Alerts through newsletters, blogs, social media and meetings. The Office of Emergency Management is happy to provide a presentation about Fairfax Alerts and emergency preparedness at your next meeting or home owner’s association gathering or with your faith-based organization, nonprofit or business. It’s simple. If we can’t reach you, we can’t alert you. Sign up and learn more at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts. Sincerely,

David M. McKernan Emergency Management Coordinator Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management

C o u n t y o f F a i r f a x , V i r g i n i a To protect and enrich the quality of life for the people, neighborhoods and diverse communities of Fairfax County

To protect and enrich the quality of life for the people, neighborhoods and diverse communities of Fairfax County

Office of Emergency Management

4890 Alliance Drive

Suite 2200

Fairfax, VA 22030

571-350-1000, TTY 711

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem

3

Fairfax Alerts Article

Fairfax County offers residents free emergency alerts through Fairfax Alerts, the county’s official

emergency alerting system. In addition to emergency notifications, the system allows residents to

customize their alerts with weather, traffic and information about county services, such as reminders from

the Department of Tax Administration. In the future, the county plans to offer residents many more alert

options about other county services.

Users have found the system to be helpful and informative. From rerouting during bad traffic to learning

about county facility and service updates during snow storms and significant weather events, Fairfax

Alerts offers a notification for everyone.

You Choose the Alerts

• Pick the types of weather alerts you wish to receive, along with traffic and public safety alerts.

• Create a “do not disturb” timeframe when you don’t want to receive weather alerts.

• Learn about county government non-emergency notices such as tax and election deadlines.

Alerts for Different Devices

• Choose up to 10 delivery methods like home phone, cellphone, email, text messaging and more.

• Manage your Fairfax Alerts profile from your phone by downloading the Everbridge Mobile Member app

for iPhone or Android.

• Mobile app allows for two-way conversations with emergency managers and does not use text

messaging service.

Alerts for Your Locations

• Customize your Fairfax Alerts locations to include home, work, school and more. • Get geo-targeted weather alerts based on up to five addresses you define. • Receive weather advisories for you, your family, home, business, school, child care and more. If we can’t reach you, we can’t alert you. Sign up for free emergency alerts from Fairfax Alerts and learn more at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts.


4

Fairfax Alerts Logos

The Fairfax Alerts logo must be used in its entirety in the following versions:

Full color

Grayscale

Black on light background

White on dark background

Logos are available in the following formats by emailing [email protected]:

PNG

JPG

TIFF

EPS

Adobe Illustrator

Fairfax Alerts Link

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts



5

Fairfax Alerts Advertisements

Use these Fairfax Alerts advertisements in online communication

platforms such as websites, blogs and e-newsletters with a hyperlink

to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts to direct people to more information

about Fairfax Alerts.

The ads are available by emailing [email protected].

To save, right-click and choose “save as” to use the advertisement.

Optimal Viewing:

Vertical Ad: 336px x 850px

Horizontal Ad: 728px x 90px



6

Fairfax Alerts Promotional Items

Contact the Office of Emergency

Management for Fairfax Alerts and other

emergency preparedness materials to

share at your next meeting.

Houses of Worship

Volunteer Groups

Businesses

Neighbors

Homeowner Associations

Contact OEM:

571-350-1000, TTY 711

[email protected]

The following materials are available for pickup:

Pens

4”x7” Information Postcard

Temporary Tattoos for Kids

Stickers

Magnets

Fairfax Alerts Information Bags

Family Preparedness Brochures

Medical Needs Brochures

Business Preparedness Brochures

Pet Preparedness Information


7

QR Code

About the Mobile Application

The mobile phone application is available for Android and iPhone users. Search for “Everbridge Member”

on the Google Play or Apple Store. The apps is free; however text and data charges may apply. Please

check with your mobile carrier for more details. There is no application available for Blackberry or

Windows devices at this time. You will be invited to download the mobile phone application after

registering for Fairfax Alerts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fairfax Alerts?

This service allows you to opt-in to receive emergency alerts, notifications and updates via email, text

message and/or voice communication methods based on geographic locations you identify. You may

identify up to five locations.

What are some of the features of Fairfax Alerts?

Delivers targeted alerts during location-specific emergencies, such as public safety events.

Available applications on iPhone and Android platforms allow alerts to be sent to your phone via

the app and will illustrate the specific text of the warning as well as any associated geographical

information.

Individuals can easily manage their account information.

Automated weather alerts with the ability to define a “Quiet Period.”

Use the Fairfax Alerts QR code on printed material. It will direct users to

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts to learn more about Fairfax Alerts.

To save, right-click and choose “save as” to use the QR code. It must

maintain its square shape for use.

The QR code is available by emailing [email protected].



8

How does Fairfax Alerts work?

In the event of an emergency, weather or traffic situation, an alert will be issued by the county to inform

individuals of the situation and may provide instructions on how to respond. Individuals should promptly

follow instructions and continue to keep devices near them in the event that subsequent information is

disseminated.

When will it be used?

This system will be used to contact you about imminent threats to health and safety as well as

informational notifications that affect your geographic locations. Administrators will send notifications

regarding severe weather, unexpected road closures and other public safety incidents.

Who sends alerts?

The county has designated authorized senders to issue alerts. Weather alerts are sent automatically

based on geographic locations you provide. Alerts may go out to everyone with an account or to select

groups of individuals depending on the type of alerts to which they subscribed or the geographic area

impacted.

Who do I contact if I have problems or questions?

We encourage you to read the FAQ in its entirety before contacting us. If you still need assistance please

email [email protected].

Registration & Fairfax Alert Subscriptions:

How do I register for an account?

Individuals must sign up for a Fairfax Alerts account in order to receive emergency alerts and notifications

from the county. Up to 10 devices can be added to each individual account and alerts can be sent to all

devices listed. Note that delivery by “voice” option is not used in every situation, but weather alerts are

sent to all registered devices. To get started, please click “Sign Up” at the top of this page or visit

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts and click “Register.”

I had a CEAN account prior to Fairfax Alerts, do I need to sign up again?

With the migration to an enhanced alerting platform, individuals who were enrolled in the system prior to

June 19, 2014, must sign up with Fairfax Alerts to ensure timely and accurate delivery of notifications and

alerts.

Why do I need to provide an address?

Individuals are required to enter a valid address which allows us to target information specific to a

geographic location. Some emergency alerts, such as those for an evacuation or gas line breaks/leaks,

are only sent to account holders with addresses listed near the event location. You may enter up to five

addresses. Weather alerts also will be sent to you based on the addresses you have entered.

What if I do not want to enter my home address?

A valid address is required. If you are not comfortable entering your home address, you may use the



9

address of a local school, post office, public building, or any valid street address closest to your home or

place of work.

Can I register with an address outside of Fairfax County?

Yes, anyone can sign up for Fairfax Alerts regardless of where you live and/or work. However, Fairfax

County will only provide alerts and notifications for incidents/events with a potential impact to county

boundaries. Certain types of alerts will only be received by individuals within a certain radius of the

event/incident location (i.e., public safety incidents). If you live and/or work outside of the county, you're

encouraged to sign-up for that respective jurisdiction's alerting system as well at www.Capitalerts.gov.

Since weather alerts are automated and geographically based, you can receive them for any valid

address in the United States.

Will my contact information be shared with others?

No. The information that you provide will be used only for Fairfax Alerts notification purposes. We will not

give or sell your contact or location information to any vendor or other organization.

What types of devices are compatible with Fairfax Alerts?

Landlines, most cellphones that employ text messaging (SMS network) and email accounts are

compatible with Fairfax Alerts. Standard text message charges may apply from your mobile carrier,

depending on your text message plan. If you are unsure about text messaging on your cell phone, please

contact your provider.

What if my phone number(s) or email address(es) change?

The system is only as good as the information you provide. If your contact information changes, please

visit your profile and update your information.

I no longer want to receive alerts. How do I disable my account?

You can stop receiving notifications at any time by removing your contact information from your profile. If

you wish to completely delete your profile, email [email protected].

What alerts will I receive automatically?

All individuals will automatically receive tornado warnings and any vital emergency notification deemed

necessary by authorized senders.

What types of alerts can I choose to receive?

You can elect to receive alerts about severe weather, traffic incidents and Fairfax County government

delays/closings.

What are automated weather alerts?

Automated weather alerts send notifications about specific weather events that could impact a geographic

area associated with the address you used when registering your account. To receive these alerts, sign

up for the alert category titled “Severe Weather.”

What is the difference between a watch, warning and advisory?

The National Weather Service in Sterling, Va., is the local office responsible for issuing all weather

forecasts and warnings for Fairfax County. For the official list of terminology, visit

http://www.capitalerts.gov/


10

www.erh.noaa.gov/er/lwx/Defined/.

What is the Quiet Time feature?

Most of the alerts we issue will occur between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. However, because "Weather Alert

Types" are delivered as weather events occur, you may wish to establish a Quiet Time. With the

exception of tornado warnings, no weather alerts will be delivered to any device during the Quiet Time

hours you designate. To enable this feature, visit the “Severe Weather Subscriptions” under the “My

Alerts” section of your profile.

Receiving Fairfax Alerts:

What number will show up when you send me a text message? What number will show up when

you call me? What address will email notifications come from?

When you receive text messages from Fairfax Alerts, they will be sent from 893-61. We encourage you to

add this text number into your mobile phone contacts to easily identify text messages that are alerts. If

you have provided a voice number, the system will contact you from 571-350-1390 with weather and

specific emergency alerts. We encourage you to also add this number in your mobile phone contacts to

easily identify it as an alert call. In addition, email notifications will come from @everbridge.net and you

are encouraged to add this to your address book or safe list to ensure it does not get marked as SPAM by

your email provider.

Why do I get weather alerts in the middle of the night?

Weather events impact residents in different ways and at different times. To ensure timely notification,

weather alerts are automatically sent via Fairfax Alerts to individuals that have not enabled the quiet time

function. To enable this feature, read the “What is the quiet time feature?” in the FAQ and then visit the

“Severe Weather Subscriptions” under the “My Alerts” section of your profile.

Why do I get weather alerts via a phone call?

A feature of the Fairfax Alerts platform is voice calling, which is used to communicate automated

weathers alerts and select emergency alerts to subscribers that provide mobile, home and/or work voice

numbers. Since weather alerts are sent automatically, we do not have the opportunity to specify if the

system should contact you via phone vs other contact methods you have provided. Though we strongly

encourage subscribers to provide voice numbers, you can visit your profile and remove voice numbers.

The fields that contain voice dialing are mobile phone number 1 and number 2, home phone number and

business phone number.

Accessing Fairfax Alerts:

What Web browsers are supported by the enhanced version of Fairfax Alerts?

All web browsers are supported. The system developer, however, recommends the use of Google

Chrome.

Is there an app for Fairfax Alerts?

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/lwx/Defined/

11

There is an app for Android and iPhone users. Search for “Everbridge Member” on the Google Play or

Apple Store. These apps are free; however text and data charges may apply. Please check with your

mobile carrier for more details. There is no application available for Blackberry or Windows devices at this

time.

Terms of Use:

EVERBRIDGE TERMS OF USE

Your organization ("Organization"), has subscribed to the Everbridge Mass Notification service (the,

"Service"). These Terms of Use ("TOU") govern the registration and management of contact information

by you. The Service is owned by Everbridge, Inc. ("Everbridge" or "we" or "our" or "us"). Everbridge

provides you with the ability to register or manage your contact information on the Organization's

notification website (the "Website"), subject to your compliance with this TOU. Everbridge reserves the

right to change this TOU from time to time without notice to you. It is your responsibility to review the TOU

on an ongoing basis.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

- THE SERVICE IS NOT INTENDED FOR ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18. IF YOU ARE NOT 18 OR

OLDER, DO NOT REGISTER YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION OR OTHERWISE ATTEMPT TO USE

THE SERVICE.

- IF YOU ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER BUT YOU DO NOT ACCEPT ALL OF THE TERMS AND

CONDITIONS OF THIS TOU, DO NOT REGISTER YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.

- THE SERVICE IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION'S DIRECT

COMMUNICATION WITH FIRST RESPONDERS SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE PURPOSES ONLY, 911,

FIRE, POLICE, EMERGENCY MEDICAL, AND PUBLIC HEALTH. YOU SHOULD NOT WAIT FOR OR

RELY EXCLUSIVELY ON THE SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS OR OTHER

IMPORTANT NOTICES. IF YOU THINK YOU ARE IN DANGER YOU SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE

ACTION. IF YOU RECEIVE AN EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION OR OTHER NOTICE FROM YOUR

ORGANIZATION'S OFFICIALS (INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY PERSONNEL),

YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THEIR INSTRUCTIONS.

- YOUR AGREEMENT WITH US REGARDING COMPLIANCE WITH THIS TOU BECOMES EFFECTIVE

IMMEDIATELY UPON REGISTRATION OF YOUR CONTACT DATA.

1. THE EVERBRIDGE SERVICE. The Service will entitle specific officials from the Organization to

broadcast notifications to you via an automated communication system. Standard charges by your

telecommunications carrier may apply.

2. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS AND OBLIGATIONS. In order to receive notifications, you must

register (and/or update when necessary), your contact information ("Contact Data") on the Registration

Page of the Website and keep the information up to date.

In order to register or manage your Contact Data, you will be asked to provide certain information

(collectively, "Account Information"). Your Account Information is treated in accordance with our Privacy

12

Policy. As a company, we are committed to providing our customers, partners and users with a secure

environment utilizing state of the art technologies to safeguard your information. For more information

please see the Privacy and Security Compliance portion of our website located at

http://www.everbridge.com/our-company/about-us/privacy-security-compliance/#sthash.mC5GiJUZ.dpuf

In addition, Everbridge will comply with all applicable laws and regulations governing personal data.

In consideration for the ability to register your Contact Data on the Website, you agree to the following:

a. You are solely responsible for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of your Contact Data, and you

agree to update the Contact Data as required to keep it up to date;

b. You will not "Spoof" or otherwise impersonate any individual or entity, falsely state or otherwise

misrepresent your identity or affiliation in any way, or forge, delete, or alter any part of sender

identification information in any e-mail or other transmission;

c. You will not register Contact Data for anyone other than yourself;

d. You will keep your Account Information confidential and secure, and you are responsible for all use or

misuse of your Account Information, whether or not the use has been authorized by you;

e. You will promptly notify the Organization of any unauthorized use of any Account Information or any

other breach of security pertaining to your Contact Data;

g. Everbridge does not pre-screen communications sent by the Organization and is not responsible for

screening or monitoring any message, and has no liability for any of the foregoing or for the content or

accuracy of any messages from the Organization.

3. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. Everbridge does not assume any

liability, responsibility or risk for your use of the Website or the Service. The Website (including the

registration pages), and the Service are provided "AS IS", and you agree to assume all of the risks in

using the Website and Service.

EVERBRIDGE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED,

STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF

MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS, OR FITNESS FOR A

PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE AND THE WEBSITE. YOU

UNDERSTAND THAT EVERBRIDGE HAS NO CONTROL OVER (A) THE CONDUCT OF THE

ORGANIZATION OR THE ACCURACY OF THEIR MESSAGES, (B) THE THIRD PARTY NETWORKS

THAT YOU ACCESS IN ORDER TO USE THE WEBSITE, (C) THE ACCURACY OR TIMELINESS OF

ANY INFORMATION IN ANY MESSAGES TO YOU FROM THE ORGANIZATION, OR (D) ANY OF

YOUR CONTACT DATA, AND YOU ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT INTERRUPTIONS OF OR OTHER

PROBLEMS WITH THE WEBSITE OR THE SERVICE MAY OCCUR DUE TO EVENTS AND

ACTIVITIES BEYOND OUR CONTROL.

YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT EVERBRIDGE WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE TO YOU,

UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR ANY LIABILITY OR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE

RELATING TO THE WEBSITE, THE SERVICE, OR ANY ORGANIZATION'S MESSAGES OR

CONDUCT, OR FAILURE TO RECEIVE AN ORGANIZATION'S MESSAGES. ANY LIABILITY OF

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EVERBRIDGE SHALL ONLY BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE

WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN EVERBRIDGE AND YOUR ORGANIZATION.

YOUR SOLE REMEDY FOR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE WEBSITE, THE SERVICE OR THE USE

OF THE SERVICE TO CONTACT YOU OR ITS FAILURE TO CONTACT YOU OR TO PROVIDE

TIMELY OR ACCURATE INFORMATION, OR ANY BREACH OF THIS TOU BY US, IS TO DELETE

YOUR CONTACT DATA FROM THE WEBSITE AND CEASE USING THE WEBSITE AND THE

SERVICE.

YOU HEREBY RELEASE EVERBRIDGE FROM ANY AND ALL OBLIGATIONS, LIABILITIES AND

CLAIMS OF ANY KIND OR NATURE UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABIITY.

4. GOVERNING LAW. The laws of California, U.S.A., excluding California's conflict of laws rules, will

apply to any disputes arising out of or relating to this TOU, the Website or the Service. All claims arising

out of or relating to this TOU, the Website or the Service will be litigated exclusively in the federal or state

courts of Los Angeles County, California, USA, and you irrevocably submit to personal jurisdiction in

those courts.

5. GENERAL PROVISIONS. Except as otherwise provided under federal or state law:

a. This TOU constitutes the complete agreement between Everbridge and you concerning its subject

matter, and supersedes and governs all prior representations, proposals, agreements, or other

communications between us, if any. Please note that your Organization’s written agreement with

Everbridge will also govern the confidentiality and security of your Account Information.

b. These TOU may be modified or amended by Everbridge at any time without notice to you.

e. In the event that any provision of the TOU is held to be unenforceable or invalid under any applicable

law or court decision, such unenforceability or invalidity will not render the TOU unenforceable or invalid

as a whole. We will amend or replace such provision with one that is valid and enforceable and which

achieves, to the extent possible, our original objectives and intent as reflected in the original provision.

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS TOU AND

YOU ACCEPT ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH HEREIN, AND REGISTRATION

OF YOUR CONTACT DATA CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF THIS TOU.

Trouble Shooting:

Who do I contact if I have problems or questions?

We encourage you to read the FAQ in its entirety before contacting us. If you still need assistance, email

[email protected].

Need more outreach information? Please contact:

Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management Community Outreach

571-350-1000, TTY 711

[email protected]



CT ALERT EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM POLICYMarch 26. 2010 Version l

PURPOSE AND SCOPE: The purpose of this document is to provide a general policyon the use and administration of the CT Alert Emergency Notification System (CT AlertENS). In addition to this policy, each authorized user agency shall set up a more specificwritten procedure, containing certain minimum criteria including: (1) description ofcovered entity; (2) message drafting and approval process, and (3) notification flow. Formunicipalities, this procedure will be added to the Department of EmergencyManagement and Homeland Security (DEMHS) checklist for the annual review of theLocal Emergency Operations Plan. Examples of such procedures are available astemplates and best practices. The written procedure of any authorized user agency mustbe in compliance with this policy.

It should also be noted that an emergency notification system (ENS) is just one means ofproviding warnings or alerts to the public. The ENS should be used in conjunction withall components of a public waming system as necessary in a particular situation.

ACTIVATION CRITERIA: Title 28 of the Connecticut General Statutes limits the useof the state E-911 database for emergency notification systems to cases of life-threateningemergency. In any glven instance, the facts and circumstances particular to that incidentwill define a lifethreatening emergency. There are any number of situations in whichpublic alerting may be necessary. While the determination of whether a matter is a life-threatening emergency is a discretionary decision, the following criteria may help todetermine the need to issue an alert:

Severity. Is there a significant threat to one or more individual's life or safety?Public Protection Is there a need for members of the public to take a protectiveaction in order to reduce loss of life?Warning. Will providing warning information assist members of the public inmaking the decision to take proper and prudent actions to increase safety?Timing, Does the situation require immediate public knowledge in order to avoidadverse impact to life or safety?Geographic Area. Is the situation limited to a defined geographic area? Is thatarea of a size that will allow for effective use of the system, given the outgoingcall capacity?Are other means of disseminating the information inadequate to ensure properand timely delivery of the information?

Examples of possible appropriate use of the ENS with the E-911 database include but arenot limited to the following:

o Natural disasters such as dangerous water conditions, fires, severe weather;o Man-made disasters such as bomb threats, HazMat emergencies, terrorism

threats;

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Crime situations such as prisoner escapes;Search and Rescue situations involving missing children, elderly, otherendangered persons;Evacuation notices and/or routes;Public health threats such as contaminated drinking water, infectious diseaseoutbreaks" rabid animal alert.

ACTIVATION AUTHORITY: Depending on the particular event, an incidentcommander may include a fire or police official, public health official, emergencymanagement director, emergency medical services chief, or other public safety officialwho is commanding the management of an incident. Any authorized incidentcommander who determines that an ENS message needs to be sent may activate thesystem. At the request of an incident commander, an authorized, trained user (e.g., aPublic Safety Answering Point (PSAP) dispatcher, Department of Public Safety (DPS)State Police Message Center dispatcher, or authorized user at the State EmergencyOperations Center) will, using the information provided by the incident commander,initiate the ENS to provide the notification requested. The authorized user shall verify themessage with the incident commander or otherwise as needed. The PSAP(s) in theaffected area(s) shall be notified of the content of the message prior to initiation of theENS.

A state agency that determines that an ENS message needs to be sent may also activatethe system through an authorized, trained user. Approval of the Governor or his/herdesignee is required, unless a critical life safety threat is imminent.

NOTIFICATION OF ACTIVATION: The authorized user who initiates the CT AlertENS shall provide notification of the activation of the system to the Chief ExecutiveOfficer (CEO) and the Emergency Management Director (EMD) of each jurisdictionaffected by the ENS notification as soon as possible after activation. For example, if theENS message is sent to all or some of the citizens of three municipalities, the CEOs andEMDs of all three municipalities must be notified by the authorized user. This initialnotification shall occur from the originating PSAP, or other authorized user, to all PSAPsaffected by the activation, and shall include the ENS message. The affected PSAPs shallthen ensure that the CEOs, EMDs, Fire, Police and EMS Chiefs in the affectedcommunities are notified of the activation. Each EMD must then notiff the DEMHSRegional Coordinator, and any other official appropriate to the incident (e.s., local publichealth director). The commercial provider of the ENS service shall provide notificationof activation of the system to all system administrators, the DPS Director of Fire,Building and Emergency Services, and the DEMHS Director of Emergency Management.

AFTER ACTION REVIEW: After each activation of the CT Alert ENS, the authorizeduser shall prepare a report detailing who sent the alert, who was alerted, why the alert wassent, and the message that was sent. A template for use in preparing this report will beprovided by DEMHS, working with the Office of Statewide EmergencyTelecommunications (OSET). The report will be submitted to OSET, and will be

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reviewed by a subcommittee of the E911 Commission composed of the CT Alert ENSadministrators. The subcommittee will provide its review to the E911 Commission.

The ENS Working Group will convene no later than one year after release of this policyto review the policy for any updates or changes.

{ :Date

Department of Emergency Managementand Homeland Securitv

Danaher, Commissionerof Public Safety

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